My first cannon OUCH!

[Benjg555]

Hey you guys first post here just became a member:) i have drawn a plan out for my first cannon. Its going to have changable barrels so i can shoot different objects .
I'm hoping to add a magazine too it for multiple golfballs or tenis balls. Also was thinking if i should make the pressure container angled down so it's shorter. Any advice will be greatly apreciated.


Update: got my pieces for meh baby last night I wick be uploading more pics soon. Also I am testing out the metal ball valve I got and if I don't like it I will upgrade it to the modded 1" sprinkler valve. Also I think you guys are going to love the paint scheme it's going to have
Just started thinking about adding a blast disk to make louder.

Update 10/6/10 : alright you guys I just finished glueing it all up. Going to take a video of it tomorrow.
The pictures I'm putting up right now are with it not cemented. Just to give an idea of it.




Update 10/11/10: hey you guys after dewing a few water cannon shots for my sisters. I have 2 tiny leeks one near the tire valve (glueing know) also one near pressure gauge.
Here's a video of me shooting my sisters castle down haha
More to come soon

[youtube][/youtube]

Alright so I got dog toy balls that fit perfectly in my 2inch barrel so me excitedly fills my cannon to 60psi aim and shoot at me basements metal door and watch the ball veery fast ricoshay off the door and slam into my GROIN which hurt like a $@^*%#F*****!

Oh and how do I add a knife to cut potatoes to the barrels size?

Edited by jrrdw, embedded video.

[jackssmirkingrevenge]

Using a large ball valve as a primary valve is going to be difficult to operate manually, so unless you have a spring loaded mechanism planned I would say you will probably be disappointed by both power and ease of firing.

I would look into the possibility of buying a large sprinkler valve, or contemplating a combustion launcher which for large bores is easier to put together than a pneumatic.

[Benjg555]

Ya i don't have a spring loaded mechanism planed:/. I went out today and got most of the parts instead of the PVC ball valve i did a metal 1in ball valve that opens way! Easier just need 3in pressure tested for air canister and to attach the pressure gauge

[jackssmirkingrevenge]

The problem is that a 1 inch valve has only 25% of the flow of a 2" valve, so again power might be disappointing.

Still, most people have built a ball valve cannon as their first pneumatic, so have fun with it and maybe then you can move on to more advanced projects

[Benjg555]

Oh.. Huh :/.
Ya I'll have fun with it be able to shoot all different types of things
Ya hopefully when i understand this more I'll make a better one

[jackssmirkingrevenge]

You can buy a ready modded sprinkler valve for less than 20 bucks which would give you good performance with a 1" - 1.5" barrel, and a "gun type" trigger that would make for reasonable accuracy.

Of course it would still work for larger calibre barrels and throw say a full soda bottle a good distance, assuming a long barrel, large chamber and pressures in the 100 psi range, but the bigger the valve the better.

[Benjg555]

Hmm alright maybe i will go with the valve i got how it works now I'd just have to figure how to hook it up with the other pipes I'll update the pictures tomorow after i get out of work at 8

[jackssmirkingrevenge]

I'd just have to figure how to hook it up with the other pipes

You hook it up in exactly the same way you were going to attach the ball valve, nothing to it

[Benjg555]

Hah sick!! Iwant it like NOW haha i wAna build this sucker so bad.
You think i should still have my Y pipe so i can have a pressure gauge?

[jackssmirkingrevenge]

I don't think you'll find a pressure rated Y fitting, to be honest I don't see the point of having a gauge on the launcher anyway as most pumps and compressors will have their own gauge.

[Benjg555]

Hmm ya true true i couldn't find one :/. Ya I'll just check the pressure as I'm going. If i use the sprinkler valve I'll also be able to get more shots right? It just has a lower psi rating

[Gun Freak]

If i use the sprinkler valve I'll also be able to get more shots right? It just has a lower psi rating

It has a lower psi rating, but you will be safe using it at the same pressure you'd use any PVC cannon. The sprinkler valve will not give you more shots. It will only give you more powerful shots. You can only get one shot with your cannon, lol, unless you can move your arm at the SOS

[Benjg555]

Hah ya I don't think I can move that fast that stinks I was hoping to get multiple with the sprinkler mod

[Technician1002]

Even if he could move his arm in a tenth of a second, any of my cannons are empty well within that time. 100 mS is a very long time to a small chamber and a large port.

[Gun Freak]

It is possible, member Lockednloaded did it here but he modified the valve himself, which isn't a hard thing to do, at all. Of course, there are other ways to get more than one shot, like I did here and another member did here.